Litigation for the Restoration of Ogiek Land Rights in Kenya

The Ogiek community brought a land rights case against the Government of Kenya at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, after exhausting all local redress mechanisms. The case attracted attention from the international community, and helped to hold the government to a higher standard of accountability. It enabled the Ogiek people to address violations of their rights to human dignity, worship, education, property, and association, among others. During the case, the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP) documented community by-laws, maps, and protocols for the management of communal lands, and used this information to engage the government in seeking legal ownership of the land. The African Court found in favour of the Ogiek community, recognising them as an indigenous community in Kenya and restoring their land rights.